1. Field of Invention
The present invention is concerned with greatly improved fuel compositions having a number of desirable properties such as significantly increased combustion efficiencies so that the fuels are more economical in use. More particularly, it is concerned with such fuels which are supplemented by minor amounts of certain organic titanates. The fuels of the invention include typical hydrocarbon fuels such as gasolines, diesel fuels or heavy fuel oils, such in combination with an appropriate organic titanate additive and also hydrosol fuels containing substantial fractions by weight percentage of water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A large number of additives have been proposed in the past for use with conventional hydrocarbon fuels such as gasolines, diesel fuel, heavy fuel oils or the like. In many cases, additives have been proposed to remedy specific problems, such as the elimination of knocking through the addition of tetraethyl lead to gasoline. Other agents have also been proposed for the purpose of enhancing combustion efficiency, and hence the work output drive per unit of fuel consumed.
While, as noted, the Prior Art is replete with attempts at providing significant enhancement of combustion efficiency, few if any truly successful additives (and combinations thereof) have been discovered.
Researchers in the art have also proposed that significant quantities of water could be added to liquid hydrocarbon fuels to form a combustible emulsion which would, theoretically, lessen the consumption of the expensive hydrocarbon fuels. Indeed, such proposals extend back to the late 19th Century. Here again, however, no truly successful fuel/water emulsion has been developed in the past, with the limited exception of such disclosed in the U.S. patent application of Kenneth (nmi) Mekonen et al, Ser. No. 06/625,045, filed Jun. 27, 1984 for "Improved Fuel Compositions"now abandoned. Reference also is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,414, issued Oct. 31, 1989 "Fuel Compositions" to Kenneth Mekonen. The subject fuels and fuel/water hydrosol herein disclosed are improvements over such disclosed in the just named currently pending (?) Mekonen patent Application and Mekonen issued patent.
The numerous problems heretofore experienced with such emulsified fuels include the fact that, when relatively large quantities of water are present, the combustion temperature is lowered. Moreover, the presence of substantial water lowers the overall caloric value of the fuel. Finally, many prior disclosed fuel/water emulsions are relatively unstable, tending to separate in two parts over time. Of course, if large quantities of surfactants are employed in such emulsions, the problem of phase separation can be avoided. However, this is inherently a very expensive proposition, and, therefore, in order to be truly economical, the amount of surfactant(s) employed in an emulsified fuel must be relatively small.